"I wish I could just jump that fence" - Carson Foster speaks after securing the 400 IM Olympic berth 3 years after missing the spot by a minute margin

Carson Foster clocked 4:07.64 to win the 400m individual medley at the US Olympic Swim Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana. After securing a berth in his debut Olympiad, Foster wanted to celebrate with his loved ones after warming down.

Carson Foster, standing with three gold medals at the 2019 World Junior Championships, missed out on the Tokyo Olympics after finishing eighth in the 200m freestyle and third in the 400m individual medley at the US Olympic Trials three years ago.

In 2024, ahead of the Paris Olympics, Foster put up his best performance to make up for the loss in Tokyo. His 400m individual medley time of 4:07.64 pushed Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland to second and third positions, respectively. Kalisz and Litherland were ruling the 400m individual medley pool, following in Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte's footsteps until Foster took the spotlight and victory.

In an exclusive interview with NBC, Carson Foster looked elated after booking the ticket to Paris. He was seen beaming with happiness because 25 people encompassing friends and family graced the audience box to watch him in action.

"Man, the first thing I thought of when I did – I have so many, probably 25, family and friends sitting in the stands,” said Foster. “I wish I could just jump that fence and go hug them and be with them. It’s probably why I’m going to warm down quickly and go do."

He and his brother Jake Foster first headed to the pool to learn water safety. After moving to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, they tagged along with their sister Hannah to embark on a serious swimming journey. Over the years, with their parent's support, the brothers gained popularity as standout athletes.

"The pressure of needing to be perfect backfired" - Carson Foster shares the reason behind missing the Tokyo Olympics roster by an inch

Carson Foster suffered from borderline OCD, which brought him immense success in the medley events. However, the same drive to be perfect backfired when he couldn't make the Tokyo Olympics team. He went into the 2020 Trials with the mindset of winning and the anxiety of not displaying his best was already building.

He eventually learned the importance of resting and shutting his brain off before going into the race, letting his training do the talking.

"The pressure of needing to be perfect backfired. But I spoke to a lot of people who helped me realise that my life was still the same, and I still get to do the sport I love for a living.I gained the perspective that racing is the output, but the input is the training and the experiences around it," he revealed in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com.

Foster sees his biggest rival in Leon Marchand, the five-time world champion gearing up to be in contention at the Paris Olympics.